Coyote Sightings Spike in Recent Months; Residents Practice Cautious Behavior

Two coyotes attacked and bit a 6-year-old Rye girl in front of her home on LaSalle Avenue Friday night, an incident that has the town's government and residents adopting a more cautious attitude.

Police said there's been "an increasing number of coyote sightings and interactions" in town, and since the late March attack in which a coyote snapped the neck of a small poodle, Rye officials have been working with a "nuisance wildlife removal firm" and have a trapper on retainer.

Nine coyotes—a mother and eight pups—have been captured and relocated since the March attack, and traps have been set in areas likely to be frequented by the animals.

On Friday, Commissioner William Connor said the police department "needs to be more aggressive," but police believe their previous efforts have been in proportion to the problem.

"Until now, the animals' activities have reflected common coyote behavior and the normal interaction of people and animals in a surburban setting," a police statement reads, "and our response has been reasonable and measured, and consistent with the prevailing opinions of wildlife experts."

Friday's attack has Rye residents acting more cautious.

"This makes me worry about letting the kids out," said Joan Corbitt, who lives near the Glen Oaks neighborhood where the attack took place. "I don't want to want to let them out of my sight."

George and Anita Penn, also Rye residents, live in an apartment complex on Locust Avenue. And though their neighborhood is urban—and often busy with traffic—they are still apprehensive.

"I'd be cautious all day," Penn said. "Especially with young children."

Scott Sprague, a Port Chester resident who works as a ranger at Rye Town Park, said this is the first he has heard of coyotes attacking a human. 

"I know coyotes will attach small animals—and sometimes dogs—but this is startling," he said.

"We haven't seen any in the park recently," Sprague added. "But that doesn't mean they're not around."